Nearly every distributor I talk to feels they should be doing something with AI, and much of that conversation starts in the back office, with purchasing and forecasting. Those projects can save money, but orders are won or lost in the front office. One of our customers, Kregg Cheek, put it better than I can. He runs LH Industrial Supplies, a family-owned industrial … [Read more...] about Put AI Where the Money Is: Why the Front Office Comes First
Industrial Supply Growth Accelerates: What Distributors Should Expect in Q4
Channel Marketing Group’s Q3 Pulse of Industrial Supply survey finds stronger-than-expected distributor growth, improving digital sales, and continued investment in inventory. But pricing, tariffs, and economic uncertainty remain important considerations heading into year-end. The industrial supply market appears to have found its footing. After a relatively sluggish second … [Read more...] about Industrial Supply Growth Accelerates: What Distributors Should Expect in Q4
5 reasons your sales incentive program isn’t working (and how to fix it)
If your sales incentive program isn’t getting the participation you expected, start with the experience you’re offering reps. Clear priorities, simple rules, visible progress, timely updates and appealing rewards can help them understand the program and stay motivated. You’ve put time and resources into your program, so low participation can be frustrating. To understand rep … [Read more...] about 5 reasons your sales incentive program isn’t working (and how to fix it)
Changing Sales Team Behavior with Targeted Guidance
TL:DR Sales dashboards reveal what happened, but they rarely change behavior on their own. Distributors can improve execution by turning ERP data into timely, specific cues that tell each rep which customer to contact, why, and what opportunity to discuss—aligning daily sales actions with strategic growth, retention, and inventory priorities. Lessons From a Sales … [Read more...] about Changing Sales Team Behavior with Targeted Guidance
Why Industrial Parts Are So Hard to Identify and Match
Manufacturers maintain proprietary part-numbering systems, while distributors map products to their own SKUs, creating inconsistencies across ERP and product-data systems. A part fails. The line is down, and every minute costs money. The replacement might be on a shelf ten miles away. Before anyone can pull it, someone has to answer one question: what is this … [Read more...] about Why Industrial Parts Are So Hard to Identify and Match
Meridian360 – 5 Tools in 1 to Drive Sales Intelligence
Every salesperson has blind spots and no sales manager has enough time to coach their salespeople before each sales call like they would like to. Further, no salesperson says "boss, thanks for all of the reports you offer me that I am supposed to review, decipher, and determine what to discuss with my customer." The reality is your sales team cannot perform they way you'd like … [Read more...] about Meridian360 – 5 Tools in 1 to Drive Sales Intelligence
Myths of Selling to a Surplus House
Myths of selling to a surplus house All of them keep the profitable check on someone else's desk instead of yours. Every distributor and industrial plant is sitting on a bloated storeroom or warehouse full of parts, most have already talked themselves out of selling it. Usually for years. The reasons sound reasonable, in your head anyways. That's exactly what … [Read more...] about Myths of Selling to a Surplus House
Q3 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Open
The industrial market continues to be one the economic highlights and that, coupled with data centers, is helping to drive the industrial distribution segment. While many may wonder how data center construction benefits the industrial distribution industry, there are three elements: Fastenal reported a strong August. They were up 16.6% (15.5% in the US) with their OEM … [Read more...] about Q3 Pulse of Industrial Supply Survey Open
From Technology Expense to Business Advantage
Did you ever get the feeling that costs rise but the value proposition doesn’t change. Or you sense that you’re over spending? Or perhaps you know that someone hasn’t had the time to review “the pennies and nickels” that, when accumulated, become dollars. We’ve all heard about subscription costs that run amuck because no one remembers them. Or have heard of the stories of … [Read more...] about From Technology Expense to Business Advantage
NetPlus Q3 Outlook: Focusing on Fundamentals
NetPlus Alliance distributors reported another quarter of growth after the close of the second quarter. According to its Q3 Outlook report, "members remain focused on sales fundamentals while many upgrade their systems and processes." The Industry Outlook, a quarterly report based on a survey of NetPlus members, tracks business results and trends in the industrial and … [Read more...] about NetPlus Q3 Outlook: Focusing on Fundamentals
